Definition
Cockpit warning systems that produce a sound — typically a horn, buzzer, or steady tone — to alert the pilot that the airplane is approaching the angle of attack at which it will stall. The device is triggered by a sensor (often a small vane or pressure port on the leading edge of the wing) that detects the airflow change occurring as the wing nears its critical angle of attack.
Plain English
A noise-maker in the cockpit that warns the pilot, by sound, that the wing is getting close to stalling.
Context Anchor
Seen in stall training, preflight checks, and cockpit discussions of how the airplane warns the pilot before a stall.
Derivation
‘Aural’ comes from the Latin auris, meaning ‘ear.’ It simply means ‘heard through the ear.’ The term distinguishes these warnings from visual ones (lights) or tactile ones (stick shakers).
Why Pilots Care
The audible alert draws immediate attention during high-workload phases such as takeoff or landing, allowing prompt recovery before control is lost.
Intuition Check
Do not assume a stall warning device prevents a stall. It only warns the pilot that a stall is approaching; the pilot must still take the correct action.
Example Sentence 1
As the airplane slowed during the power-off stall demonstration, the aural stall warning device sounded a steady horn just before the wing broke.
Example Sentence 2
During the approach the pilot reduced power and the aural stall warning activated just before the planned touchdown speed.